Edwin Pope tribute

Edwin Pope, one of the classiest people in the business, has been at the Miami Herald 50 years and covered all 40 Super Bowls. We ran a tribute to him today...worth reading! We had a story by Armando Salguero and a great column by Dan Lebatard.
Here's the link for Dan's column:
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16591775.htm
and the story can be linked from there.
Enjoy Super Bowl weekend.
Michelle Kaufman.

 

Thanks for tipping us off Michelle.

I remember hearing Popie on the phone with his desk one night, I believe at an FSU-Miami game. They were bugging him about deadline. He replied: "You want it quick or you want it good?"

 

Well, let's see, there was the time Edwin called the desk into his office and pointed to a wall of bound volumns in a bookcase. "In here is every story I've written about the Dolphins and UM football," he said, offering the archive as reference material.

"Edwin," I asked, "How come every book says 'DUMB' on it?"

He pauses. "Dolphin UM Book," he said.

Probably more telling about him, though, was the night when he found out the section was tighter than usual, so he cut his column to 14 inches so it didn't have to jump.

 

My heart skipped a beat when I saw the posting, thinking something had happened to him. No one has meant more to me in this business than Edwin. He was always gracious and sharing. Most importantly, he always had time. If you just listened, you would learn. Every day. He treated me the same way when I started at the Herald answering the phones (we were called henchers back then) as when I edited (I am using the term loosely here) his column as deputy sports editor there. My only hope is to be half as good a person as he is.

Thanks for everything, Edwin. I hope to see you again at Augusta.

Ronnie Ramos
Sports Editor
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

 

Edwin is both a top talent and one of the most wonderful people I ever met in this business.
Good for the Herald to acknowledge that fact in print at a time when so many sports people will be reading their paper.

 

Plain and simple: Edwin Pope is my idol.
Still.
--Buddy Martin

 

Never worked with a nicer human being. Ever.

At my Herald going away party, which he attended in a particularly seedy bar, he said if I wanted to meet the right woman, I should start going to church.

Should have listened to him, I suppose.

 

Like Ronnie, I also had an "uh-oh" moment when I saw this thread. But it was a great idea to run such pieces now instead of later. Give folks their flowers while they can still enjoy them.

On the few ocassions I've crossed paths with Edwin, I've been impressed with his kindness and civility. Those qualities aren't always evident in journalists of his stature, but he looks beyond masthead and market size. He's certainly someone to respect, admire and emulate, and not simply because he's been at it for 50 years.

 

My heart stopped when I read this thread... I don't know if sports journalism could handle losing Pope and McKenzie in the same week...

 

Maybe Michelle can change the name to "50 years of Edwin Pope" tribute or something, to prevent any more cardiac moments.

 

I never met the man, but my favorite story about him (and somebody help me remember the exact word because I'm probably wrong) was Howard Cosell came up to him and demanded to know why Pope had called him pompous (or some other word). Pope replied, "Because you are."